Life after the Battle
by mas3th
Summary: Harry receives a letter wanting him to teach DADA. Rated T just in case.


_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_As you may well know, Hogwarts is once more in need of a Defense against the Dark Arts professor. As you have had experience in teaching Dumbledore's Army, with great success I may add, I ask if you wish to fill this position. This position will provide with a decent starting salary and the once in a life in a lifetime opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with a younger generation of witches and wizards._

_Given the recent battle at Hogwarts, should you accept this position, we would ask that you arrive in advance to assist with repairs. The school is in worse damage than it has seen since the days of its inception and will take a great deal of power and many hands to restore it to its former glory._

_Hoping to hear from you soon,_

_Minerva McGonagal._

_Headmistress._

This letter had arrived for Harry within a week of the battle of Hogwarts. Harry was surprised, not only that he had been approached to be a Hogwarts professor, but that the school was to re-open at all. The battle that had taken place was a particularly bloody event. Many students, teachers, aurors, Order members and local villagers had lost their lives. Among this list was Lupin, Tonks, Fred and, though Harry got strange mixed feelings of hatred and remorse at the thought of him, Severus Snape. Harry had still not forgiven Snape for killing Dumbledore, but at the same time, knew that it had to be done.

Ron had looked simply bemused when Harry had shown him the letter. He wanted to show Hermione too, but she was in Australia tracking down her parents to lift the memory charm she had put on them almost a year ago.

"Are you going to take the job?" Ron asked.

"I think Hermione would kill me if I didn't." Harry replied. "I mean, she was the one who pushed me into the DA in the first place."

Ron gave a laugh that boomed more than it normally would. Ever since Harry defeated Voldemort, everyone was in a better mood than ever. No longer were people fearing for their lives and that of their loves ones'. Muggle-borns and blood traitors were coming out of hiding. Mr. Weasley, who widely considered the biggest blood traitor of all, had even been offered the position of head of the Magical Law Enforcement squad. He turned it down in favor of his old post of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, To which he received a pay raise and now had four people at his command.

"I like the sound of it" Ron panted between fits of laughter. "Professor Potter. It has a nice ring to it."

"I've never really put much thought into becoming 'Professor Potter' Harry confessed, now beginning to laugh as well. His laughing grew harder. Within a minute, both he and Ron were on the floor laughing so hard that they kept having to gasp for breath. It took several minutes for it to die down. They got up, still sniggering every few seconds. Harry looked around the room to regain his bearings. Colors blurred together making him slightly dizzy.

His eyes fell on a piece of parchment laying on the table. He walked over to it and picked it up. It was a list of items Hermione had left them to pick up from Diagon alley while she was away.

Size 3 Cauldron

Every day potion ingredients

Common Ailments and Remedies by Joshua Henshaw.

Life Outside School, The First Year Away by Melanie Marks

Floo powder

Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover

Harry had completely forgotten that he was supposed to pick all this up three days ago. He showed Ron who swore under his breath and looked at Harry. "Reckon we should go to Diagon Alley then?"

Harry nodded. He wondered if it had yet regained its old splendor. Last time he had visited, the only shop that didn't seem effected by the war was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Now, in the absence of Fred, Harry doubted that the shop would continue much longer. Mr. Olivander had been kept prisoner in the basement at Malfoy Manor for a year. He had only recently been rescued be Harry Ron and Hermione and Harry was sure he wasn't in a state to be running the shop again.

Several minutes later, Harry left the front door to number 12 Grimauld place with Ron. As Harry climbed down the stairs, Ron turned on the spot and disappeared. Harry followed.

Diagon alley wasn't quite as deserted as he had seen it last. Half the shops were still closed, but the stores that were open were crowded with shoppers. Ron walked away to hit Flourish and Blotts for a few books. Harry started to make his way toward Gringotts. Worry started to settle in his stomach; not long ago, he had broken into Gringotts and taken a goblet from a high security vault. He was sure they would want some form of repayment.

As he walked through the large front door, he noticed there appeared to be no damage to the chamber at all. The large entrance chamber seemed to gleam as it always had. The goblins on either side of the hall seemed as distracted as always. Harry approached the nearest teller.

"I would like to enter my vault." He said nervously.

The goblin looked up and considered him coldly. "Key." He said flatly. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled a small key. The goblin took it and examined it closely. After a moment, the goblin looked up. "Would you please follow me to our meeting room?"

Harry's heart sank. They were about to punish him for his recent break-in. He couldn't find a way out. He stopped himself from glancing toward the door and forced himself to watch straight ahead instead. He followed the goblin away from the main chamber and down a side hall. This hall was elaborately decorated as the main room. Every dozen feet, a security guard stood by the wall staring straight ahead. Were they the ones who would escort Harry to Azkaban?

The goblin led him into a large meeting room where two other goblins were sitting. The one nearest Harry motioned him to a chair opposite the others. It was a regular oak chair, but Harry was forcefully reminded of the chair he had sat in three years ago during a hearing for using magic underage. On that occasion, it had been a case of self-defense. This time, however, he was sure breaking into Gringotts was unlawful no matter the circumstances.

"Mr. Potter." Said the first goblin as he sat down. "I am Maseth, the newly appointed director of Gringotts. I assume this is your first time visiting _your _vault since you came of age?" Harry nodded. "I also assume you are aware," Maseth continued. "That the vault you have been accessing, vault 687, is a temporary vault?"

"A temporary vault?" Harry repeated.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. That vault was set up to help supply your needs and magical education until you came of age. Now that you have come of age, you stand to inherit the Potter family vault." Harry was confused.

"You mean…" He started, "You mean I have more gold?"

"More than the small fortune in vault 687?" Mas stated. "Yes, quite a bit more. The potter fortune has been here collecting interest since this building was built hundreds of years ago."

Harry's mind was racing. He had more gold. How much more? Was it enough to help fund repairs to Hogwarts?

"After we do a little paperwork, we can show you to your vault." Said Maseth.

Harry felt sick. The cart ride to vault 94 was the most nauseating he had ever been through. He was further into the bank than he ever had been before. It was extremely cold and the air was stale. There were fewer vaults here.

As they reached vault 94, The goblin that was guiding Harry placed his hand on the door. Immediately, the door vanished. Harry Had a clear view of the entire vault. There were mountains of gold. There were also several highly valuable looking items that Harry didn't recognize. On the wall was a number of pictures. Harry recognized one in the middle. James and Lilly stood laughing and dancing. Lilly looked to him.

"Is it…" she stammered. "Are you Harry?" Harry nodded. Lilly and James beamed at him. Harry looked at the other pictures, he guessed this was the rest of the potter family.

After several minutes of being introduced to his family, Lilly looked to Harry. "So, Tell us everything that's happened. We've seen only the inside of this vault for seventeen years now."

A.N.

I have quite a few things planned for this story. I know this is rather short and, at the moment, slightly boring. I'll try to make the rest far more interesting. Please note that parts of this story will be based off of other fictions. I'm trying (for this story at least) to keep it at least partially cannon. As with all other fictions on this site, I don't own HP (however much I wish I did. I would totally make Sequels)


End file.
